


Absolution

by Mayalaen



Series: Altered Fates 'Verse [3]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Domestic Discipline, Gabriel Lives, M/M, Retelling, Spanking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-25
Updated: 2016-05-25
Packaged: 2018-06-10 13:52:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,293
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6959290
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mayalaen/pseuds/Mayalaen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Two different times Gabriel stepped in because things went sideways. Each time things didn't end up quite the way any of them expected.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Absolution

**Author's Note:**

> This is part of the [Altered Fates 'Verse](https://archiveofourown.org/series/469957) and can either be read as a standalone or as the next part after [Under His Wing](https://archiveofourown.org/series/469957).

**Now**

"C'mon, please! I'm fucking sorry!" Dean called out, but the only thing that answered him was his own echo inside the steel box he'd been left in.

Dean paced the box again. Seven steps, turn. Seven steps. Somehow the air was fresh even though Dean figured he'd been in the box for close to an hour, so he wasn't worried. Gabriel wouldn't have worked so hard to save him if he was just going to dump him in a steel box and let him die.

But Dean wanted out. He didn't like being in small spaces, and he was getting hungry, damn it. His stomach growled, and as he walked up to the wall of the box, he used his fist to beat on it three times.

"Let. Me. Out!" Dean yelled.

There was no light source, but inside the box it was well-lit, like there were hidden fluorescent lights overhead. He hadn't heard anything after suddenly appearing in the box, dazed and still holding the wound in his stomach even though it was gone.

"I'm sorry," Dean said, not bothering to yell anymore. Gabe could hear him whether he whispered, yelled, or said a silent prayer to him in his head.

Dean sat down on the steel floor and leaned against the wall. He picked at the hole in his jeans near the seam of his left inner thigh. The hole was big enough that two fingers easily fit through.

"Does this mean I don't have to stand in a corner after you beat my ass?" Dean asked. "Y'know, since I'm already in a time-out?"

Nothing. No noise. No Gabriel suddenly appearing in the box with him. No Castiel. No Sam. Not even Bobby.

Dean sighed and let his head fall back onto the wall, closing his eyes. Depending on how upset Gabe was, it might be a while. Gabe didn't deal with any of them if he was upset because he didn't want to do something damaging even if he could fix it once he did it.

Gabe loved all three of them. Hell, he loved Bobby too. He wanted to keep them all safe, not beat the shit out of them every time he saw them.

Dean rubbed a hand over his face as he remembered just a year earlier thinking Gabe was dead, that he was gone. Dean had thought he'd be relieved. No one to tell him what to do anymore. Instead he'd been devastated.

 

**Then**

"So this is a shitty situation," Bobby grumbled, trying to pull himself free of the ropes binding his wrists behind his back. Demon #1 had stolen Bobby's hat and was wearing it. Demon #2 had tried to snatch it from Demon #1, but Demon #2 hadn't lived to tell the tale.

Dean couldn't stop staring at Bobby. Hatless. It wasn't right. It just wasn't right. Sam twisted like a snake on the floor of the basement they were locked in, trying to get to the tiny blade he kept in a fold of his jeans at the small of his back.

Dean was tied to a column in the middle of the basement and didn't have any range of movement. They'd even tied his ankles to the cement column.

"Hey, Cas?" Dean said, looking toward the ceiling. "Cas, can you hear me?"

"Look at the wall, ya idjit," Bobby said, nodding his hatless head toward the wall directly in front of Dean. Bobby was leaning against it and had apparently already checked it out.

Angel warding. Well, that kept Cas out. Dean sighed and looked to his brother, still squirming on the floor. He thought of calling out for Gabriel, and when it hit him again that the archangel was dead, he felt that awful churning in his stomach.

It wasn't because he was fucked, being held by a building full of demons. They'd been in plenty of bad situations over the years.

It was because in the few short months Gabriel had been watching over all of them, Dean had fallen. Oh, he hadn't said anything to Gabriel about it, but Dean was pretty sure Gabe knew. Gabe claimed he didn't automatically read all their thoughts, but he had to know Dean wasn't just appreciative of the fact they were all still alive thanks to Gabriel.

Gabriel was gone. He'd sacrificed himself for them, letting Lucifer burn him out so the Winchesters could get away. Dean would never forget it, and he'd never forgive himself either.

The building rumbled over their heads, concrete dust raining down on them. All three of them froze, eyes wide as they heard screaming.

"What's the fuck is going on up there?" Sam asked, keeping his voice low.

"Let's just hope whatever it is doesn't come down here," Bobby said.

Dean opened his mouth to say something, but then he let out a yelp as suddenly Gabriel was standing in front of him.

"Miss me, Dean-o?" Gabe asked, grinning.

Dean blinked for a moment. "Gabriel?"

"Let's get outta here, shall we?" Gabriel asked, then the ropes holding Dean to the column disintegrated.

Dean caught himself before falling face first onto the floor, and then Gabe was dragging him up the stairs, a firm hand wrapped around his right wrist. He didn't bother asking if Bobby and Sam were coming behind them. Gabe wouldn't leave them behind.

He kept his mouth shut as they walked through the devastation on the ground floor of the building. Windows blown out, office equipment strewn about, some of the pieces on fire.

Dean didn't see any bodies. At least until they got outside. There were people wandering about, as if they had no clue what was going on. Dean recognized two of the people as former meatsuits who had tied him up.

"Go home," Gabriel said to them, heading for the Impala and ignoring the small crowd of people in favor of fishing the keys out of Dean's pocket.

Dean let Gabe shove him into the passenger seat, and as Bobby and Sam climbed into the back and Gabe got behind the wheel, Dean opened his mouth to ask what the fuck was going on.

"If you talk right now," Gabriel said as he put his foot down on the gas pedal, screeching out of the parking lot, "I might hurt you, so just all of you keep it shut. Please."

They did as they were told, even though Dean really wanted to ask why Gabe didn't just fly them and the car back to Bobby's house. He figured Gabe wouldn't appreciate that question anyway.

 

**Now**

"Time to go."

Dean woke up, neck and back sore from sleeping on a steel floor. He blinked up at Gabriel, who was standing over him and didn't look all that happy to see him.

Before Dean had a chance to respond, Gabriel leaned over and took him by the wrist. Dean grunted as time and space scrunched all around him for a split second, then snapped back again. He didn't really like the feeling, but Gabe's grace wasn't back to what it was before Lucifer had nearly killed him, which meant rough rides through time and space.

Dean frowned at their surroundings. It was nice and all, but it wasn't Bobby's house, that's for sure. It was sparsely decorated, spacious, and the hardwood floor peeked through multiple area rugs that were large and matched the paint on the walls.

From where they were standing Dean could see a chef's kitchen, a generous dining room with a big table and ten chairs, and the living room they were standing in had a set of soft, overstuffed sofas and chairs.

It was warm. It felt like a nice family home. Nothing like the motels they'd stayed in over the years.

"Have a seat on the couch," Gabe said, giving Dean a mild shove toward said couch.

Dean stumbled a little, then caught himself before taking a seat in the middle of the couch. Before he could ask what the fuck they were doing in a nice house, Gabe disappeared, leaving behind that pressure in Dean's ears that always came when an archangel's wings beat near his head.

A fraction of a second later Gabe reappeared with Castiel next to him. "Sit next to Dean," Gabe said, then disappeared.

"So I think we're in trouble," Dean said as Cas sat down on the cushion to his left. "Do you know where we are?"

Cas turned to him, eyes wide, a hint of fear in his expression. "Gabriel has suppressed my grace. I can't use it to answer your question."

"Oh. Okay, so he's really pissed. Great," Dean said, leaning back on the couch and rubbing his palms over his jeans.

Gabe reappeared, right hand wrapped around the back of Sam's neck, Sam scrunched over and wincing. "Sit down."

Sam scrambled to the couch, obviously scared, and sat down to Dean's right. Gabe nodded his approval before putting his hands on his hips.

"That was fucked up," Gabriel said.

Dean cleared his throat. "We didn't-"

"That's enough!" Gabriel said, the windows in the house rattling with his words.

"Okay, we did mean to do it," Dean said, nodding. "We fucked up. Bad."

"Yeah, ya did," Gabe said, throwing his hands up in the air, exasperated.

 

**Then**

"It's not Sam's fault," Dean insisted for probably the fifty-seventh time.

"You can shut up now," Gabe said.

Dean opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He frowned, grabbing at his throat. When he saw the look on Gabe's face, Dean scowled at him.

_You think you can shut me up? You can't shut me up when you can still hear every word I say whether I can use my throat or not._

Dean realized he'd gone too far when Gabe stalked over to where he was plastered against the wall and grabbed his upper arm, yanking him toward the living room of Bobby's house.

"Fuck," Dean breathed, his vocal cords still not working.

He didn't bother fighting. He'd learned months ago that only earned him corner time after a spanking, and he really didn't want Bobby and Sam getting an eyeful of his red ass on display.

Dean winced as Gabe pushed him down over the back of the sofa and landed five sharp smacks to his ass. They could've been much harder, Dean knew, so he was relieved when Gabe pulled him back up straight and turned him around.

"You're not in trouble for this one," Gabe said. "I know Sam went behind your back. I know Bobby had no clue what was going on. Neither of you did until it was too late."

Suddenly Dean's voice worked again. "Yeah, but-"

Gabe's mouth twitched into a small smile. "And I know you're so relieved I'm alive that you're making an issue out of this. Distracting yourself so you don't accidentally spew feels all over Bobby's rug."

Dean rolled his eyes. "I knew you were alive."

Gabe wrapped his arms around him. "No you didn't," he whispered as he held on tight.

Dean closed his eyes, hands fisting in the back of Gabe's shirt. He wanted to get closer, to hold onto him and never let go. "Thought you were fuckin' dead, you asshole."

Gabe let out a chuckle. "I know. I'm sorry. I needed time to recuperate."

"But you're okay now?" Dean asked.

Gabe pulled back. "Not yet, but I will be," he said with a shrug.

"That's why you drove us home?" Dean asked, unwilling to let go of Gabe yet.

"Yeah," he said, nodding. "I got a little winded just doing what I did to those demons back there."

"You didn't have to burn them out," Dean said, feeling protective.

"Oh, right, and then you and Sam would bitch me out for killing innocent people," Gabe said, smirking.

Dean smiled. "But you didn't have to."

"I know," Gabe said, leaning forward and giving Dean a quick kiss on the lips. "I'm okay. I'll be okay. We'll be okay. After I deal with your brother."

"Ah, c'mon, Gabe," Dean said, pulling back and poking Gabe in the chest. "He made some bad choices. Not the end of the world."

"Not your decision," Gabe said. "Remember what I said after he went off to find a cure for Bobby's little wheelchair problem all by himself? I said I was going to put him over my knee like I did you. He knew I meant it."

Dean sighed. "Okay, but he's been acting strange ever since he and I started hunting together again. I don't know what the fuck's wrong with him, but maybe you can get him to back down. He's going non-stop."

Gabe smiled at him. "Will do."

 

**Now**

"So who wants to go first?" Gabriel asked, looking at the three of them.

"Huh?" Sam said just as Dean said, "Me. They had nothing to do with it."

"Sounds like you want me to go extra hard on you for lying," Gabriel said, folding his arms over his chest.

Dean squirmed on the couch. "No, I just... It was my idea. They went along with it."

Sam elbowed him in the ribs. "Dude, he knows you're lying. Quit making it worse on yourself."

Gabriel looked Sam in the eye. "He's not worried about that. You may not have realized this about your brother, but what he's doing right now is trying to get me so pissed at him that I forget about punishing you and Cas. It's not going to work, but he's going to try, and in the meantime he's earning himself corner time, which he really hates."

Dean squirmed as Sam turned and glared at him. Dean shrugged and gave him a goofy smile, and Sam rolled his eyes, focusing his attention back on Gabriel.

"Cas and I knew what we were doing," Sam said. "We thought it would work, but it didn't."

"Do you know where you two almost ended up?" Gabriel asked, pointing between Dean and Cas.

"I assume it wasn't good since you put us all in time out for a hell of along time," Dean said.

"Purgatory," Castiel said, voice low.

"Ding, ding, ding," Gabriel said. "Got it in one."

Dean paled as Sam sucked in a breath of surprise. "Uhm, yeah, I didn't know," Dean said. "It's real? Purgatory's real?" he asked, face screwed up in confusion.

"You didn't call for me," Gabe said, a little hurt in his voice. "How many times have I asked you guys to call for me when shit's going down? Is getting your ass beat really so bad? Is it worse than going to Purgatory? Because let me tell you that it's not. Purgatory isn't fun."

"So the boxes you put us in...," Dean said, trailing off.

Gabe snorted. "That was so I could cool off instead of throwing you into Purgatory for a few years just to teach you a lesson." He shook his head and began pacing the room.

"We needed to stop Dick," Dean said, shrugging. "You're busy taking care of things in Heaven."

Gabe stopped, turned, and glared at Dean. "Is _that_ why you did this? You haven't been getting enough attention?"

Dean let out a nervous chuckle. "Of course not! We thought we had it handled. You've said yourself that we're competent hunters and we can take care of shit ourselves."

Gabe squinted at Dean for a moment, and Dean held his breath. He knew that looks. Gabe was reading his thoughts and poking around in his head.

Finally he sighed and looked at Cas. "You didn't tell them."

Cas was looking down at the coffee table in front of them. "No."

"You didn't fucking tell them that the whole building might get sucked into Purgatory," Gabe said, voice getting louder.

"No," Cas said, voice soft and a bit of a tremble in it.

"We knew it was dangerous," Sam said. "We all know the risks every time we go after someone or something."

"No, that's not it," Gabe said, shaking his head and squinting at Cas.

Cas shivered, then pushed himself closer to Dean. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay, Cas," Dean said.

"No, let him finish," Gabe said to Dean.

"I was trying to make up for what I'd done," Cas whispered.

"What do you mean?" Sam asked, sitting forward so he could see Cas on the other side of Dean.

Cas didn't look up. If anything he curled in on himself even more. "I hurt you. Both of you. I needed to make it up to you."

"What do you mean?" Dean asked, frowning.

Cas finally looked up at them, eyes welling with unshed tears. "I was about to push the both of you away and let Dick suck me to Purgatory with him."

Dean flinched as Sam let out a "what?" and Gabe flopped down onto the overstuffed chair to the right side of the couch.

"I deserved it," Cas said.

 

**Then**

"No, I don't want it back," Sam said, face a mask of defiance and his hands clenched at his sides.

Gabriel chuckled. "You don't get to decide, kid."

Sam screamed in rage as his soul was shoved back into his body, and when the noise died down, Sam shivered on the floor before passing out.

"Is he okay?" Dean asked, crouching next to his brother. His brother, not the soulless thing that had been walking around in his baby brother's skin for the last year.

"He'll be okay," Gabe said. "Let's get you guys someplace safe and quiet so he has a chance to recover."

Dean stood up, turned around, and wrapped his arms around Gabe. "Thank you. Thank you for bringing my brother back."

Cas walked away before Dean could rip him a new one, before he could see the hate. He'd fucked up, and the minute Dean realized it, Cas knew Dean would come after him. Cas had fucked up and brought back a soulless vessel.

 

**Now**

"It's my fault that Sam was stuck in the cage with Lucifer for so long," Cas said miserably. "I thought I knew what I was doing, but I wasn't good enough."

Sam sighed. "Cas, we've talked about this. You did your best, and I don't have any hard feelings over it."

Cas sniffled, a few tears running down his cheeks. "It shouldn't have happened. If Gabriel hadn't intervened, you could've spent centuries down there."

"But I didn't," Sam said.

"Did you do it on purpose?" Dean asked.

Cas' bottom lip wobbled. "No! I didn't do it on purpose!"

"Dude, you were already forgiven by both of us," Dean said, shaking his head. "If you didn't mean to do it, if it was an honest mistake, there's no reason to still feel like you need to sacrifice yourself for us."

Cas turned to Gabriel. "I don't like this feeling."

Gabriel nodded. "I know, kid. You want me to help you with it?"

Cas' body deflated with relief. "Yes. Please."

"Now wait a minute!" Dean said, standing up and holding his hands out. "Don't you do a fucking thing to him! He fucked up, but he didn't mean to do it. You can't-"

Cas flinched as suddenly both Winchesters were gone.

"What'll help you feel better about this, Cas?" Gabe asked, voice soft.

Cas wiped the tears from his face. "I don't know. They just forgave me without really thinking about it, and I can't let go."

Gabe moved to the couch, sitting in the middle where Dean had been recently. He put his left arm around Cas and tugged him closer. "Humans are messy, aren't they?"

Cas nodded. "It was easier in Heaven."

"You fuck up, you're punished," Gabe said. "You fuck up down here and humans just move on because they love you. Gloss over the bad shit."

"I know I was loved in Heaven," Cas said, resting his head on Gabriel's shoulder. "I know you love me, but it's so much easier to pay for the things I've done than to have those I've wronged try to act like it never happened."

"Do you want them here?" Gabe asked. "I sent them away because I wanted to talk to you alone, but if you want them to witness it, I'll bring them back."

"They won't understand," Cas said. "They'll try to stop you."

"They will," Gabe said, chuckling, "but I think you're underestimating them. They'll understand even if they don't like it."

Cas nodded. "I want them to know I've paid for what I've done."

"Okay," Gabe said, kissing the top of Cas' head. "You ready?"

"Yes," Cas said, pulling away slowly.

 

**Then**

Cas slid under the covers while Sam was sleeping, snuggling up to him. Dean was snoring in the other bed, both men oblivious to the angel who was drawing comfort from familiarity in a very un-angelic way.

He knew he shouldn't need it. They had forgiven him. He had to move on. Sam wasn't shunning him, and in fact he'd been more affectionate, as if he was trying to convince Cas he'd forgiven him.

But Cas could see it in his eyes. He could see the way Sam was careful with him, the way Dean kept looking away every time someone noticed he was watching Sam so carefully, reminding himself his brother was back.

It hurt. More than Cas thought it would, and he knew he deserved it. He'd left Sam in Hell at the mercy of Lucifer. Cas hadn't really been forgiven. How could he have been?

 

**Now**

Dean wasn't happy about it. Neither was Sam, but Gabriel had been right, and both of them had understood, even if they hadn't liked it.

"He'll feel it all," Gabe said as he pulled Castiel over is lap. "I've pushed his grace back, and everything the vessel feels, Cas will feel."

Dean tensed, leaning against the wall opposite the couch as Sam shifted in the overstuffed chair nearest Dean.

Gabriel pulled Castiel's slacks and boxers down to his knees, Cas' trench coat already draped over the arm of the couch, his tie rolled up on the coffee table, and his shoes by the door. Gabriel ran a hand over Cas' upturned ass.

"This isn't because you made a mistake," Gabriel said.

"I know," Cas said.

"This is your absolution."

Gabriel didn't give Cas a chance to respond before he brought his hand down on Cas' ass. Cas flinched, but settled down again, holding still as Gabe covered every square inch of Cas' ass with spanks.

Dean closed his eyes, leaning his head against the wall as Sam watched carefully. Cas was doing this for him, and Sam wasn't going to look away. He was going to give Cas the respect of being there for him, witnessing his absolution.

Cas tensed as Gabriel hit him harder, and he fought the urge to cover his ass until the pain became overwhelming.

"G-Gabriel," Cas whimpered, right hand reaching back.

Gabe didn't stop. In fact, he silenced Dean as Dean stepped forward, ready to tell Gabe that was enough, and he gently pushed Dean back with his grace.

Sam scooted forward in the chair as Castiel started to softly cry, tears running down his cheeks as Gabe took hold of his wrist, moving it out of the way. Sam could barely sit still, and Gabe admired him for doing this. For being there when Cas needed him.

Cas tried to twist away, but Gabe held onto him, Castiel's human strength nothing in comparison to an archangel's.

When Castiel finally started sobbing, his body involuntarily flinching this way and that as he kicked out, Gabe stopped. 

"I'm sorry," Cas cried into the sofa cushion.

Gabe pulled him up, cradling him on his lap and wrapping his arms around him. "You're forgiven, kid," he said, kissing the top of Cas' head.

Cas cried harder. Barely able to breathe with the sobs that shook his body. Gabe could feel the relief in Cas, and he knew he'd done the right thing.

Sam sat down next to them, pulling Cas' legs up onto his lap and rubbing his hands over Cas' skin. "I still forgive you, Cas," he said.

Cas reached out and took Sam by the hand, holding on tightly.

Gabe didn't release Cas' grace until later that night, after they'd all had some dinner, courtesy of Dean, and had sat in the living room watching movies. By that time Cas and Sam were entwined on the overstuffed chair to the right of the couch, holding each other and mostly ignoring the movie while Dean sat stiffly beside Gabe.

He waited until Sam and Cas went to bed, then turned and straddled Dean's lap. "Do I need to let you spank me so I can get your forgiveness?" he asked Dean, only half teasing.

"No," Dean said, shaking his head. "I can see he's relieved. I know what it's like."

"But you're still upset with me," Gabe said, cupping Dean's face.

Dean sighed. "I don't think so. I mean, I'm kinda pissed at you, but I think maybe I'm more pissed at myself for not noticing how much Cas was hurting over the whole thing."

"No way you could've known," Gabe said, shrugging. "He never said anything. I didn't know either."

"So would you?" Dean asked, looking up at Gabe.

"Would I what?"

Dean smirked. "Let me spank you?" he asked as he reached behind Gabe and smacked his left ass cheek through the jeans.

Gabe chuckled, shaking his head. "You'll have to work for it. I don't give up easily."

Dean shoved Gabe off his lap and onto the floor. "I don't either."

Gabe laughed as he scrambled away, Dean hot on his trail as they headed for the bedroom.


End file.
